Bit-brace



given to such articles.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY W. PORTER, OF ROTHSVILLE. PENNSYLVANIA, ASIGNOR TO SAML. G.PORTER, OF WEST EARL, PENNSYLVANIA.

BIT-BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent 1\To. 17,769, dated July V7, 1857.

To all 'whom 'it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. PORTER, of Rothsville, in the county ofLancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an ImprovedBit-Brace; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andexact description thereof, reference being had to the acco'mpanyingdrawings, making a part of this specification, Figure 1 being a sideView of said bit-brace; Fig. 2, a section in the line 'y y of Fig. 1;Fig. 3, a section in the line x r. of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 a section inthe line w w of Fig. 3.

Similar letters indicate the same part in each drawing.

The shape of the handle A, of my improved bit-brace is the same as thatusually The bit-holder j, is secured to a spindle a, which passes out-Ward` through a perforation in the forward end of the handle A; and theknob h, is secured to the spindle Z), which passes outward through aperforation in the after end of said handle. The heads of the spindlesa, b, are transversely grooved, as represented in Figs. 3 and 4; andeach of said grooved spindle-heads has a spring catch combined with itsubstantially as represented in said drawings.

The grooves in the heads of the aforesaid spindles a, b, receive theauXiliary handle g, at times when it is desired to bore a hole inconfined situations Where it is impossible to rotate the main handle Aof the brace.

A couple of ratchet Wheels c, d, whose teeth are` reversely inclined toeach other, as shown in Fig. 2, are secured side by side upon thespindle a, in such a position as to roject through a lateral opening inthe forward end of the brace handle A. A detent e, is pivoted to theside of the brace handle in such a position that it can be thrown intoconnection with the teeth of either of the ratchet wheels c, d, or itmay be made to embrace the teeth of both of said Wheels at the sametime.

When it is desired to use the auxiliary handle q, the detent e should bethrown on to the teeth of the ratchet wheel c, which will enable the bitto be rotated in a forward direction by applyin the requisite force tosaid auxiliary hand e; and when it is desired to reverse the motion ofthe bit for the purpose of withdrawing it from a perforation, the detentmust be moved over on to the teeth of the ratchet wheel d. When the bitis to be operated by applying the force to the main handle A, the detente should be placed in a central position upon the teeth of both theratchet Wheels c, d, which will securely combine the spindle a, and thebit-holder j, to the main handle of the brace in such a manner that thebit will turn with said handle when it is rotated in either a forward ora reverse direction.

Having thus fully described my improved bit-brace, what I claim hereinas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Combining the knob h, with the bitholder j, by means of the auxiliaryhandle g, whenever it may be necessary to bore holes in situations whereit is impossible to rotate the bit-brace, substantially as herein setforth.

2. And in connection therewith, I also claim the double ratchet-Wheelson the spindle a, when arranged in such a manner in relation to thedetent e, as to enable the necessary connections and disconnections tobe effected between the bit holder and the permanent and the auXiliaryhandles of the brace, substantially as herein set forth.

The above specification of my improved bit-brace signed and witnessedthis four-' teenth day of March, 1857.

HENRY W. PORTER.

Witnesses z CYRUs PoR'rER, Sr., WLLLIAM BI'rznR.

